Three running to represent House district

Published: Friday, October 26, 2012 at 10:43 AM.

Hometown: Raised in Shelby, live in Cherryville

Occupation: Realtor, licensed to teach in the state

Party: Republican

What is your public office experience?

In the North Carolina House of Representatives, I serve on numerous standing committees. They are the appropriations, banking, commerce and job development, environment and public utilities committees.

I serve on two select committees. I serve as the co-chairman of the energy independence and alternative fuel committee and I am a member of the committee on homeowners associations.

N.C. House Rep. Kelly Hastings is running for re-election to represent a portion of Cleveland County in the 110th district.

He faces two challengers – Jamar McKoy and Lewis B. Guignard.

Read on for more on the three candidates.

Kelly Hastings

Age: 51

Hometown: Raised in Shelby, live in Cherryville

Occupation: Realtor, licensed to teach in the state

Party: Republican

What is your public office experience?

In the North Carolina House of Representatives, I serve on numerous standing committees. They are the appropriations, banking, commerce and job development, environment and public utilities committees.

I serve on two select committees. I serve as the co-chairman of the energy independence and alternative fuel committee and I am a member of the committee on homeowners associations.

I serve on three non-standing committees. They are the Joint House and Senate Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology, the Orderly and Expeditious Removal by Landlord of Personal Property of Deceased Committee and the Wetland and Stream Mitigation Committee.

I also worked for the U.S. House of Representatives, where I focused on veterans’ issues.

Why are you running for House District 110, and what do you want to do to improve Cleveland County?

I’m running for office to cut taxes, cut spending, reduce debt, fight for jobs, improve infrastructure, crack down on violent criminals and illegal aliens, restore confidence in government by implementing voter photo IDs and fund education in the classroom instead of the bureaucracy in Raleigh.

During my first term, we started improving the lives of the residents of House District 110 by cutting taxes, cutting spending, fighting for jobs, improving infrastructure, cracking down on violent criminals and illegal aliens and funding education in the classroom instead of the bureaucracy in Raleigh.

We passed a voter photo ID bill to restore confidence in government; however, the governor vetoed the bill.

I plan to continue these efforts to help improve the lives of the people of the 110th House District of North Carolina.

Why should voters select you in November?

The people should re-elect me because I kept my word and voted to cut taxes, cut spending, fight for jobs, improve infrastructure, crack down on habitual criminals and illegal aliens, support voter photo IDs and fund education in the classroom instead of the bureaucracy in Raleigh.

Due to my support for worker’s compensation reform, tort reform, regulatory reform and other pro-business legislation, I received one of the highest pro-business rankings, of all the members of the General Assembly, from the North Carolina Free Enterprise Foundation. We received the endorsement of the National Federation of Independent Business SAFE (Save America’s Free Enterprise) Trust and the North Carolina Chamber.

Note: We worked to restore confidence in government and passed a voter photo ID bill that included appropriations for local boards of election to provide IDs, at no cost, to the few voters who do not have a photo ID; however, the governor vetoed it. We did not have the votes to override her veto.

Our bill also included a very lenient provisional ballot provision, which means that people would not be disenfranchised. Provisional ballots are common in North Carolina.

Recently, North Carolina prosecutors prosecuted numerous people who committed voter fraud in North Carolina. The most egregious crimes seem to have been in other counties where people voted twice or where felons voted. I plan to continue to support voter photo IDs.

Jamar McKoy

Age: 30

Hometown: Gaston County

Occupation: Eighth-grade social studies teacher

Party: Democrat

What is your public office experience?

I have never been elected to public office.

Why are you running for House District 110, and what do you want to do to improve Cleveland County?

I decided to run for office because I’m passionate about my community, family, and great leadership. I want to have a positive impact on our educational system restoring appropriate funding to the public schools system. Cutting educational funding isn’t the answer. I want to return citizens to work by providing relevant training at our local community colleges, which will make them more attractive to prospective employers. We cannot grow or improve the quality of life for our district by continuing to do business as usual.

Why should voters select you in November?

It is time for the citizens in the 110th to have leadership that speaks for them. We need leadership that isn’t swayed by big corporations. It’s time for leadership that represents the people and not a party. I bring the leadership style that the citizens in the 110th deserve and should have. I will speak for all citizens in the 110th, not just conservatives, liberals, or independents. If we expect to move the 110th forward we must work together to do so.

Lewis Guignard Jr.

Hometown: Bessemer City

Age: 60

Occupation: owner, trucking company agency

Party: Libertarian

What public office experience do you have?

None. I have never been elected but have served on various boards in Mecklenburg County prior to moving to Gaston.

Why are you running for House District 110, and what do you want to do to improve Cleveland County?

I don’t believe in pork barrel politics so anything I would do for Cleveland County should also help the entire state. Lower taxes and a simplified tax code are priorities. Next is reduced, simplified and coordinated regulations. In general we need less government, not more, so cutting waste while working to improve the basic services of government are my goals. I am running because my experience as a private business owner will help me stand up to special interests in favor of all taxpayers, not just a few connected ones.

Why should voters select you in November?

Because I am able to stand up to special interests and am interested in the good of all the people, not just some.